We have a list of fun ancient Greek games that you can play with your friends and family. In this article we will show you the history of Greek games, how to play them and some tips to have fun.
When it comes to ancient Greek games and games, talk to them. Most people know thatThe ancient Greeks loved sports and they loved athletes..
He spent much of his free time running, jumping, javelin and discus throwing.
This is because they believed that the gods wanted their bodies to be as perfect as possible.
According to Quatr.us, that was itonly men who were allowed to participateAt the Olympic Games.
Women had their own sporting events that were equally competitive, but the ancient Greeks enjoyed playing many other Greek games that were also unrelated to sport.
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Gods and Games for the Ancient Greeks
In ancient Greece there was much debate as to whether gambling should be legal or not. Some people were concerned about this, but two Greek gods decided to side with the gamblers: Hermes and Pan, according to mythology, are known for taking part in gambling.
Other gods and importantCharacters from Greek mythology such as Poseidon, Hades and Zeus also played dice to decide who would get which parts of the universe. Zeus won the sky, Poseidon won the sea and Hades won the underworld.
Hermes was known as the god of gambling and betting, among other things, and gamblers used to pray to him before betting money.
This is said to be a practice that still occurs today, although for many modern Greeks the Christian saints would be addressed in such a prayer.
There were also simple games likeEphedrismos, which was a bit like hitchhiking, and chase games were also popular.
There would be two teams and a shell painted on one side. The grenade was thrown in the air and the color decided which team to pursue.
In ancient Greece, one of the most popular games was known as knucklebones, which had different versions for male and female players.
There is a lot of archaeological evidence for this, including finds of finger bones.
The game is often depicted in Greek artworks produced at the time.
The men treated the assembled pieces of bone, of which there were four or five per set, a bit like dice, sometimes even painting numbers on each side of the piece.
The women used their knuckles more like the pawns used in a game of jacks, throwing them in the air and seeing how many they could catch on the back of their hands.
Reportedly, single women were also superstitious towards them, thinking that if they did well in an ankle game, they would probably find the love of their lives very soon.
The ancient Greeks were also people who liked to play.
Gambling was one of the first forms of entertainment around the world and research suggests that gambling started in Greece, but also in China and Egypt.
The ancient Greeks played dice and played heads or tails by tossing a coin.
It didn't matter if they were nobles, peasants or slaves; the game was part of everyday life and still is today.
In 2012, The Greek Reporter reported that until the global recession, Greeks were among the most avid European gamblers, accounting for 20% of sports betting worldwide, which is quite astounding for the size of their population.
As everyone has less money to spend, the number of bets placed has not decreased, but the size of the bets has decreased.
In 2012, the government allowed companies wanting to do business in Greece to buy licenses, raising a lot of money.
The Greek Legends of Games
Greece has also produced some legendary players like Anargyros Karabourniotis better known as Archie Karas.
He started playing marbles for money when he was younger.
He started working as a waiter on a ship, and when the ship docked in the United States, he decided to try his luck in Las Vegas.
One of the first things he did was change his name because the original name was too difficult to pronounce, and then he got a job as a waiter at a restaurant in town.
He soon discovered that the owner enjoyed playing poker 'behind the scenes'.
He realized he had a talent for gambling and soon began playing poker in casinos. Three years later, he eventually earned $40 million.
He was so good at poker that nobody played with him, so he broke his golden rule and played other games, losing all his money in just two months.
Then there are legends like Nick the Greek, whose real name was Nikolaos Andreas Dandolos.
His life story should make a great movie as he went from rags to riches and back more than 75 times. It is estimated that he has won and lost more than $500 million during his gaming career.
the GreekUS-Reporterhe says that Frank Sinatra and Aristotle Onassis were among his biggest fans.
John Taramas is another legend of the Greek game. He started playing blackjack and has written two books on the subject. He was also a highly respected teacher.
One of the reasons he was drawn to games like blackjack is that it involves strategy. It's not just luck that decides if players win, but they also need to know when to split their two cards and when to reject more cards.
Be asuccessful blackjack playerJust like Taramas, you need to know all the strategies and terms associated with a game and this will increase your chance of winning.
The spreads between winners and losers in blackjack are slim: with an average of 43.8% wins and 47.3% losses, even a small winning streak for a player can result in a big win.
Always a very disciplined player, Taramas tried to understand when the starting cards were in his favor in order to maximize the hands where he had the best chance against the dealer.
He won millions in the Netherlands before returning to Greece and getting on the poker scene.
Popular Greek Games
1. Boxing (Greek Pygmachy)
Boxing is a sport that has been around for centuries. In ancient Greece it was considered an important part of Greek sporting culture and there are numerous legends associated with its birth as such, from the earliest times when Theseus invented boxing to protect himself while fighting the Minotaur on Crete , to Homer when he wrote about Achilles using his hands after Hector hit him very hard with his spear, and everyone shows us what happens without gloves!
There is also another story where two men were so alike; no one could win by KO alone... so they stripped down until only boxers were left - naked fighting.
2. Chariot racing
Chariot racing is one of the oldest known sports and was first practiced in Mycenaean times. It all started as an event in honor of Aeneus, King of Calydon, who challenged his daughter's suitors to a race against each other while Pelops won that competition that led to him becoming the founding father figure of the Olympic Games we know today.
3. Pancreas
The ancient Greeks were crazy about one sport: wrestling! They had many different styles of martial arts, but nothing compared to the popularity or endurance associated with pankration. This combination of boxing and wrestling allowed fighters to use any weapon imaginable, from visual punishment punches to pinning opponents with their hands around their necks so they could suffocate until they ran out of breath...to the point of strangulation, if necessary, why not? ?
4. Discus throw
Discus is one of the oldest known sporting events, dating back to 708 BC. dates back to C. Ancient Greece. Back then, it was made of lead, stone, or bronze, depending on availability, and athletes took the weight off with each shot by spinning it quickly before landing anywhere near their starting point.
It's no wonder this sport has had such an impact, as it's not just about your strength, but also your accuracy, which can be improved with practice, as well as any other skills you might want to use as you master them most need training time training. Competence.
5. Jump
Long-distance jumping was an important part of warfare in ancient Greece, and the sport is believed to have originated on battlefields. Soldiers were equipped with weights or cones in their hands to propel themselves higher when jumping off the edge of the clips into shallow water near enemy ships during combat. These practices continue to this day as athletes wear specially designed shoes for maximum power transfer!
6. Korr
The ancient Greeks were the first to develop training programs for people who wanted to compete in races. They held such competitions during the Olympic Games, which are still taking place today! Wealthy and generous spectators loved watching the sport so much that they presented valuable gifts to the winners, making it one of the most famous pastimes in Greece in its day (776 BC -
7. The ring
Ancient Greek wrestling sport was one of the most popular and popularInfluential activities in Greece. It had its own rules, which are still used today for some competitions such as the Olympic Games (708 BC). There were three ways to win: score points by touching the hip or back anywhere outside of an area called the square plethrum; Accept defeat due to submissions when opponents grab clothing/armor near key body parts if you want victory, this includes the armpits! Finally, he evicts someone who, after various techniques, can no longer defend himself.
8. Horse racing
When the Olympic Games were founded, equestrian events were part of it. The horse races were held on a circuit that had two turning points where most of the accidents happened and only wealthy people could afford to buy horses to compete in these races. This was mainly because he gave women a chance without actually participating (since they couldn't at the time).
Over time, when society changed much more than we are used to today, horse racing lost much of its popularity until it was completely phased out.
9. Javelin throw
The javelin throw is one of the five disciplines of the ancient Greek Olympic pentathlon. Competitors ran a few meters to start and then threw their wooden, man-sized weapons as far as possible across the field or as far as possible with one hand tied behind their back (artificial extension). It seems that this was an extremely difficult task for the time!
Other Greek Games Played in Greece
In modern Greece is one of the most popular playsetsTavli.This is a group of games.which are very similar to and include backgammonplakoto,doors,fevga,gkiul, miassodio.
They are often played back-to-back, with the winner receiving points to see who ends up with the most. Another very popular card game among the locals iscut.
By visiting someGreek islandsJust like on the mainland, you will see that these are gamesplayed in local taverns for points and for fun, but sometimes there will also be bets on the games.
Diluteis very similar to a game known as "casino" in the UK, where it first appeared in 18ºCentury London.
It is a card fishing game and there is a certain irony in the fact that fishermen fish for cards during the winter months when they cannot go out to sea.
Checkers is also a game that is played quite often along with various other table games.
Even the snakes and ladders game dates back to ancient Greece and is a retro game that's back in fashion.
The Greeks also always liked dice games. The Romans adopted the game of dice from the Greeks and the British MuseumIt contains samples of the dice that both nationalities played with.
Back in the day, dice could be carved out of stone, glass, bone, horn, or ivory, although they're not as exotic today.
The main difference is that ancient civilizations counted the number that touched the surface as what mattered and not what was on top.
Greeks are a nation of gamers no matter what kind of games they like. At night when they are resting, the cards and dice are often outside or they connect to the internet to play in online casinos.
It's almost a tradition to play when there's a party or other celebration, especially on New Year's Eve.
The ancient Greeks can take credit for many things in the world today. From the alphabets used in European languages ​​to democracy.
Many words in our dictionaries are of Greek origin, and the way we calculate is closely related to that of the ancient Greeks.
The Romans loved Greek culture and helped spread it to many different parts of the world.According to BBC Bitesize,The origins of many of our superhero stories and the subsequent films made about them have their roots in Greek mythology.
With so many fundamental aspects of our modern culture having their roots in ancient Greece, it should come as no surprise that we also loved many of the games they played.
While many have become modern variations over time, some are closer to the original than many people realize.
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